MP duplicate voters case: SC seeks reply from EC

The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a notice to Election Commission of India (ECI) and Madhya Pradesh Election Commission on the petition of senior Congress leader, Kamal Nath, seeking transparency in the upcoming Madhya Pradesh state Assembly elections.

A division bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Arjan Kumar Sikri, and also comprising of Justice Ashok Bhushan, sought a detailed reply from the ECI and Madhya Pradesh Election Commission on the petition. The top court fixed the matter for further hearing on August 31.

Abhishek Manu Singhvi,senior lawyer appearing for Nath, had earlier submitted to the apex court that there are 60 lakh duplicate voters in the state of Madhya Pradesh and thereby the top court should pass a direction in the matter.

On August 10, Nath, in his petition sought the top court's intervention and a direction to the ECI that the number of votes cast on the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) should tally with the Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh election.

He also sought the apex court to direct to that the poll bodies undertake effective measures to ensure free and fair polls in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

The assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, which has 320 constituencies, is expected to take place by the end of this year, as the tenure of the present BJP government, led by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will end in January 2019.